Abba Father:
When the sun went down last night,
I watched the brilliant interplay of lights,
Reflected on the seas glassness,
I cannot watch without joy, grief and sadness.
There’s a link between You and artists,
We understand how the urge begins to start this.
You are the greatest of all God’s Creations,
Through different mediums You answer our questions,
And maybe are able to speak to those not Your’s,
By working through us to make our art ours.
Such, I think is the fate of our lives,
Tied to color, shapes and shadows,
Attached to light, shades and what does and doesn’t go.
For a bit Lord, I feel connected to You,
By something we both do.
–d.f.a.v. 7/29/15—Donna

Photo by Martha Gaston Taylor. Used by permission. Photographer retains all rights public and private. Blogger used PhotoGrid to collage photos and add text.

Look to the fields!
Nearly ripe for harvest.
Look to the fields!
A harvest of fruit awaits.
Look to the harvest!
A bounty awaits there.
Look to the fields!
Prepare to get up & go.

Work joyfully in the fields!
The soul fruit is ripening.
Work joyfully in the fields!
Hearts are ready to sweeten.
Work joyfully in the fields!
Souls awaken for harvesting.
Work joyfully in the fields!
The harvest is waiting right there.

Harvest! Bring in the harvest!
Pluck them one at a time.
Harvest! Bring in the harvest!
Row after row to be saved.
Harvest! Bring in the harvest!
Bring all who believe.
Harvest! Bring in the harvest!
Now why you’ve got the time.
d.f.a.v. 7/28/15—Donna

God, one thing being sick has taught me,
Is how much and how often I apologize….
—For being sick…
—For needing help…
—For needing help…
And how often I strain through my tears,
“I’m sorry I can’t help it.” And my will to fight is gone.
—I wait ’til I’m alone…
—To cry all by myself…
—To cry all by myself…
All my dignity is long gone,
My freedom to come and go, lost…
—It’s in this pity pit…
—I experience hope…
—I experience hope…
Not hope like the world may offer,
But the hope found in love in Jesus’ arms…
—Ah! Here’s my reason to live!
—Ah! Here’s my reason to sing!
—Ah! Here’s my reason to sing!
The best part of being here now,
On knowing you’re listed as dying…
—Is knowing somewhere…
—Someone will weep & see Jesus…
—Someone will weep & see Jesus…
And understand.
And know I understood too—
Before they tore the house down.
After all—
The foundation survives—
The anchor holds—
Do you understand that?
d.f.a.v. 7/27/2015—Donna

Dear Abba,
The beach is full this time of year,
Even here, on this private stretch,
The sand is dotted with sunbathers,
Families, with lots of clutter,
I don’t go down much during the day,
Unless something occurs and I must say,
“Please don’t do that here,
This is my property so I must insist.”

And I come here early for a time of prayer,
Praying for them all, up and down,
People I don’t know but we all have needs.
And I put out a bottle of cold water in Your name.
Free to the thirsty under the sun,
As Your living water is free from Jesus, Your Son.
I wonder often if people think I’ve flipped my lid,
Then something happens like yesterday.

I woke up early and grabbed my stuff,
While coffee brewed then I’d go outside,
I opened the door and a stranger sat,
She’d been reading the scriptures I left with the bottles,
Did I have time to walk her through?
So one step on another we walked the Roman road for You,
And at the end with a peaceful heart,
She had prayed and You were now the Savior of her soul.

This Cottage-by-the-Sea is our special place,
My place of quiet and refuge.
I come here to study and read,
To uncover my hidden sins,
The ugliest parts of me like when I fail to win.
You’ve left me here to visit with you,
This Cottage-by-the-Sea such a blessing for me.
d.f.a.v. 7/23/15—Donna

Photo provided by Martha Gaston Taylor, used by permission. Poet/blogger used PhotoGrid to write photographer’s name on picture only. All rights reserved by photographer, public and private.)

Let praise ring out of my heart,
Whether I’m happy or sad,
May my thoughts sing true,
Father, may You know they’re for you.
Every breath I take, I take for You,
Not a second I live unplanned,
There’s no “just happens” in my life,
No accident You provide this particular slice.
O Lord, Creator and Sustainer of good,
He who spoke the world into being,
You knew even then I would one day be,
Needing the crucifixion and resurrection to set me free.
Right this instant You could call out my name,
Not a doubt in my mind I would hear it,
For You are the God of Abraham,
And David, Ruth, You’re the One, I Am.
Every cell of my body, every piece You used to create me,
It hums and sings out with adoration,
O Mighty God how precious I’ve found,
Living, breathing, awakening on Holy Ground.
d.f.a.v. 7/21/15—Donna

Photo by Cyn Carpenter. All rights reserved public & private. Used by permission. Blogger/poet added photographers name to photo only using PhotoGrid.

“Our experience with God will never grow stale.”
Regardless of length, regardless the tale.
Whether it be one of worldly acclaim or fame,
Or if we see it as unimpressive, God knows our name.
The thing most important, that must be done,
That each of us as individuals, separate, one by one,
Answer Jesus’ knock at our hearts door,
Have we asked Him for His forgiveness and more?
Does He walk with us now every earth mile?
Have each of us reached agreement on eternity’s smile?
Do we accept Christ died, literally, upon a cross,
That it was violent and bloody and the winds rose and tossed?
The curtain in the temple, from top to bottom was torn apart,
And Jesus died there, willingly, a sacrifice from His heart.
Then lain in a borrowed tomb all by Himself,
A human body grown cold laying on somewhat of a shelf.
Then in three days what He said would be true,
He rose from that grave, defeating Satan and death for me and you.
Have we trusted our eternal future to His nail scarred hands?
Do we look forward to our trip into Heaven’s lands?
Our relationship with God will be many things but never boring, or stale.
We only think these things when we take over the trail.
If we leave it in God’s hand we will never be bored,
For He is the I Am, Alpha, Omega, God Everlasting and more.
d.f.a.v. 7/20/15—Donna

Photo taken by Cyn Carpenter, used by permission. Photographer retains all rights public and private. Blogger used PhotoGrid to add text to photo only.

God sees you,
Sees you, all of you,
He, the Lord God Almighty,
The Alpha and Omega,
The I Am, looks from Heaven,
And sees you.
And me,
As individuals,
Not as part of a mass,
But you,
And me.

God knows you,
Knows you, all of you,
He, Head of the Holy Trinity,
The God worthy of Godship,
The Creator, knows you from Heaven,
Knows all of you,
And me,
Knows us as us,
Not as collective parts,
But you,
And me.

God loves you,
Loves you, all of you,
He, Master and Creator of the Universe,
The God of all good things,
God of all truly beautiful,
Loves all of you,
And me,
Loves us as individuals,
As separate persons,
As you
And me.

God sees you,
Loves you, knows all of you,
He knitted you together,
He called you by name,
God, the One and Only,
God delights in you,
And me,
As His personal creations,
With individual choices,
To love Him,
Or not.
d.f.a.v. 7/19/15—Donna

Dance of the Fog Ballerinas
I’ve sat and watched the sun rise over fog clad woods,
And pastures, wrapped in gauzy draperies.
The mist lifting gracefully from the Valley, in dance,
Thousands of prima ballerinas moving in perfect romance.

The performance itself, like the greatest grand prize,
Slowly becoming more magnificent than the mountaintop,
Except the sun promises to evaporate the performance away,
As it rises higher, burns brighter, lights up the day.

Look, can you see even now the big barn?
Where a minute ago it was hidden, totally veiled in mist,
It is now a solid object and the gray – clad ballerinas exit,
And astride this horse is now where I should sit.

This is home, this land, this family, this place,
God’s trusted it to us to care for by His grace,
But the ache in my heart I realize with time,
Is for the Heaven and New Earth, guaranteed to be mine.

If my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life,
Then my citizenship is planned as truly as Christ lives,
Now before the dance comes to an end,
You still have time to ask Jesus in, as Savior, Lord and friend.
d.f.a.v. 7/14/15—Donna